Having worked as a health professional within the community setting for many years, I have participated in the end of life care and support for dying persons and their loved ones (including my own loved ones); and have received positive feedback from family and industry in my role as a Funeral Celebrant (refer to the About page for testimonials).

Whilst the role of an end of life doula is a non-health professional role, my health experience is complementary that role and to the role of Funeral Celebrant and is supported by the following areas of study:

PalAssist Coordinator: training (current May 2019)

LifeOptions: online End of Life Doula studies (Feb ~ current 2019)

LifeOptions: Death Doula Certificate (6-7/4/2019)

Certificate IV in Bereavement Support : Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement, Victoria (2019)

When I receive a service enquiry this provides an opportunity for questions to be answered; and for you to gain a sense of me and the value of the services that I offer. Importantly, it also provides me with a picture of how I can best support you.

1. End of Life Doula services: As end of life doulaservices can vary in frequency, duration and the time of the day you require the services, I will quote an hourly fee based on each individual's circumstances. I will:

offer a free no-obligation consultation (up to 30 mins) for end of life doula specific services - where Jacqui will discuss in more detail your service needs and any ongoing costs associated.

provide a written quote for the services that I provide; and will issue a receipt upon payment

payment by EFTPOS or electronic bank transfer

2. Fees for Funeral or Memorial services:

If you are using a particular Funeral Director you can advise them that you want me to be your Funeral Celebrant and if Celebrant fees are part of the Funeral Director's itemised fee, then my fee is paid by the Funeral Director as a disbursement

For services where you are not engaging with a Funeral Director, you can contact me directly and I will agree a fee with you and provide a written quote for the services that I provide. Payment can be made by EFTPOS or electronic bank transfer. Receipt provided upon payment

Community Information sessions: Please discuss your requirements with Jacqui as in some circumstances there may be no charge (e.g. NFP community information presentation for the general public) versus revenue-generating functions.

Active group workshop participation sessions/workshops: Fees negotiated for these sessions where there is active group participation (minimum of 2 hrs charged). Refer to End of Life Doula Fees (Table 3 - above).

Payment can be made by EFTPOS or electronic bank transfer. A receipt will be issued upon payment

Q: How do you maintain privacy and confidentiality of the information receiveed?

End of Life Transitions complies with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) & the relevant National Privacy Principals. Any personal information that you provide me will only be used for the purposes for which it has been provided to me. The webserver used is hosted by Netregistry(https://www.netregistry.com.au) which has been officially certified as being compliant with the auDA Information Security Standard (ISS). Links placed on this website are for interest and information only and do not constitute personal endorsement by me. For further information go to Privacy Policy & Terms of Use at the bottom of this FAQ page.

Q: Is there a method of giving feedback on services received?

Yes. All feedback is very welcome and valued as it expresses your experiences regarding the services that I have provided. To provide feedback please email me on jacqui@endoflifetransitions.com.au or write to me via PO Box 5320 Victoria Point. QLD 4165.

Q: Do you have any other passions?

Yes! My family and friends are very, very important to me. Keeping healthy - cycling & walking. And I am a keen photographer and I'm proud to say that many of the photos within this website that I have created are photos I have taken. They provide a visual insight to who I am.

To honour the person you have loved you may choose to have the ceremony at a chapel located at a crematorium, although you may choose to hold it in a place that reflects the life and has meaning for the person who has died e.g. at home, in a garden or park, overlooking the ocean or in a hall, a sporting club, a family farm. And it's important to know that you can take some time to absorb the shock of a loved one dying before undertaking the funeral ceremony. Particularly if it was an unexpected death.

Gravesite ceremonies - A burial or committal can be held after the main ceremony at a chapel where the eulogy, tributes and readings etc. are performed. Some families choose to have a short and private ceremony by the gravesite alone.

Q: What is a memorial ceremony?

A memorial ceremony/service is one where your loved one's body is not present which can be due to a number of different reasons e.g. the family may choose to have a private ceremony (burial or cremation) and then hold a memorial ceremony for friends of the deceased; or there may be circumstances where a body has been donated to science; or the body not released yet due to coroner's investigations; or where there is no body or ramains of a loved one found. Sometimes where a cremation has been undertaken, the family may have a memorial where the urn is present . This type of ceremony allows the loved ones to acknowledge the life of their loved one in a variety of different settings e.g. a funeral home, a park, a beach, your backyard and also can be held many weeks, months or years after person has died and can be held at any time.

If your loved one had donated their body to science, or in the very sad situations where no body remains have been located for any reason - then a memorial ceremony can be a wonderfully meaning tribute and way of symbolising your loved one's life.

Q: What is a scattering or placing of ashes ceremony?

This ceremony, similar to a memorial ceremony, can be done at any future date after a person has died. The family may be waiting for a certain special event e.g. an anniversary or birthday; or for family to travel to attend. Some people like to scatter the ashes at a significant place, others prefer to keep the ashes. There are many options for scattering or placing of ashes e.g. casting, raking, green burial, water scattering etc. I'm happy to explore these with you.

Q: Can I contact you directly if I want a Funeral or Memorial ceremony or do I have to go through a Funeral Director?

You can contact me directly to discuss your funeral or memorial ceremony requirements whether you are using a Funeral Director or not. If using Funeral Director services, you will need to advise them if you want me to be your Funeral Celebrant. I will then liaise with them regarding the ceremony requirements.

Q: Does a end of life doula provide nursing, medical or allied health services?

For more information on the role of an end of life doula and what services I provide, please go to the end of life doula page.

Members of the health team - doctors, nurses, allied health and personal care workers - are very important in providing medical, clinical and personal care services to the person who is dying; and support to their loved ones. The end of life doula does not replace these roles.

Q: When do most people ask for end of life doula assistance?

End of life doula services will be most frequently called upon in the last few weeks, days or hours of a person's life. Doulas can also assist people to prepare for death when a person is of good health and not facing imminent death.

Q: Can you help to pre-plan my own funeral ceremony as an end of life doula?

Yes this is one of the services I offer as an end of life doula. Pre-planning your own funeral can be done at any stage of life and often provides the person with a sense of empowerment and relief that the important milestone of one's own death is not left up to others to have to plan.

Q: It's important that I share my life story and wishes before I die. Is that something an end of life doula can help with?

Yes, as an end of life doula I am able to sit with you and collate important milestones and memories from your life and co-create a memoir of your life story which can be passed down to the generations; or simply provides an avenue for reflecting on the life you have lived. Writing your own life story allows you the opportunity to actively participate in writing your own Eulogy.

Q: What is end of life planning and advance care planning?

There are many elements within end of life and advance care planning. As your doula my role can help you migrate, plan and document some of your end of life wishes. Having direct experience in the area of advance care planning within Queensland, I can assist you to understand this area, have conversations with your family/loved ones and assist with some aspects of advance care planning documentation.

Q: What is a living funeral or living wake?

A living funeral or living wake is a way of celebrating your loved one's life with them whilst they are still alive. It doesn't have to be a formal event. It provides an opportunity for the dying person to express their feelings and appreciation for the family and friends who have been part of their life; and is a way of connecting with those who are important to the dying person, before they die. It is also an opportunity for the loved ones to tell the dying person what they mean to them; and also to share in unique life experiences they have had with that person. It is a form of celebration of life.

Q: What is meant by 'post death care'?

An end of life doula can provide services which includes:

Support and guidance for the deceased person's loved ones who want to prepare the deceased person's body prior to transfer to the mortuary or funeral director's premises

Honouring the religious or cultural wishes/requirements of the deceased and their family while ensuring legal obligations are met;

Ensuring the deceased’s privacy and dignity is maintained;

Ensuring the health and safety of everyone who comes into contact with the deceased is protected

Please don't hesitate to Contact me if you have any further questions! Thank you! Jacqui Williams

Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

End of Life Transitions ABN 97226335989recognises the importance of your privacy and we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy by handling all personal information securely and with care in accordance with Australian privacy laws. This Privacy Policy explains how we manage your personal information. Please read the following to understand the views and practices of End of Life Transition regarding personal information, and how they pertain to you as you access these services.

What is personal information?

‘Personal information’ is defined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to mean information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identify is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion.[Part II, Section 6 p17].

All personal information that we collect is provided by you voluntarily when you make contact over the telephone, send correspondence (post and/or email), visit our online services or make contact in person. The kind of personal information collected depends on the circumstances and nature of your interaction with End of Life Transitions. The personal information may include your name, mailing and email address, telephone number, contact preference and other personal information you wish to disclose related to the services requested.

All personal information we collect is necessary for the operation of our business. By providing personal information to us, you are consenting to our collection of the information. Whenever it is lawful and practicable, you will have the option of not identifying yourself when entering transactions with us. If you choose to withhold personal information however, we may not be able to provide the best or most appropriate service possible.

How your personal information is held?

Personal information is held in hardcopy and in electronic form, and all reasonable steps are taken to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Any personal information that is held in hardcopy in securely stored within an access controlled premise and access to this information is appropriately limited. Electronic records are stored within our own secure and is password protected and access is appropriately limited.

What is your personal information used for?

End of Life Transition collects, hold, uses and discloses personal information for the purposes for which it was collected and related purposes, including:

providing the services that you have requested;

personalising any correspondence with you;

to send periodic correspondence which may contain updates on this business, acknowledge anniversary/remembrance dates or other events;

to communicate with you regarding messages posted by you on our website or via email sent by you;

to provide information to third parties that you have authorized End of Life Transitions to engage with; and

internal record keeping

Will any of your personal information be disclosed?

No personal information will be disclosed to any third party without your consent subject to this Privacy Policy and unless authorised or required by Australian privacy laws.

How is your personal information protected?

We are committed to ensuring your personal information is secure. We will take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the personal information we collect online. However, please note that no transmission over the internet is completely secure. If communications over the internet concern you, please contact us through alternate means.

All personal information we no longer require will be destroyed or permanently de-identified, however, information will be retained for as long as the law requires.

Links to other websites

Our website may, from time to time, contain links to other websites controlled or offered by third parties which may be of interest to you.

Please be mindful that we have no control over linked websites and we accept no responsibility for the privacy practices of linked websites and third party advertising. Each website is responsible for its own privacy practices. Please exercise caution and read the privacy statement applicable to each website you visit. Links to third party websites are provided for convenience only and we make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information on those websites. No link to another website should be construed as an endorsement or recommendation of that website or of any information, goods or services referred to.

How do you access your personal information we hold?

Please contact us if you would like to access your personal information held by us. Access to your personal information will be provided in accordance with Australian privacy laws.

How do you change any personal information we have on file about you?

Reasonable steps will be taken to ensure personal information we collect, use or disclose is relevant, accurate, complete and up to date.

Please contact us if you would like more information about the way your personal information is managed by us, or would like to request access to or if you believe your personal information we hold is inaccurate or incomplete. We can then take reasonable steps to correct this information. To change your personal information we encourage you to email the changes to jacqui@endoflifetransitions.com.au. Alternatively, please contact us by telephone or post as follows:

If you would like to complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, you may contact End of Life Transitions at the details listed in the above section. All complaints will be responded to within 24-48 hours. You may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by visiting www.oaic.gov.aucalling 1300 363 992 or by emailing enquiries@oaic.gov.auor post GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001.

Changes to this privacy policy

This Privacy Policy discloses our current privacy practices. From time to time and in line with client expectations and legislative changes, this Privacy Policy will be reviewed, and, if appropriate, updated. If we make any modifications to this Privacy Policy we will post these changes on our website as soon as possible.

[This Privacy Policy was last modified on 9 September 2018]

This website is owned and operated by End of Life Transitions ABN 97226335989

Terms of Use:

This page provides the terms and conditions on which you use our website (Terms of Use).

Please read these Terms of Use carefully before you start to use our website. By using our website you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, you must not continue to access our website.

Privacy Policy

Any personal information that is collected through the use of our website is subject to our Privacy Policy. Please read our Privacy Policy carefully which contains important information regarding personal information you may provide to us on our website.